My Favorite Pumpkin Pie Recipe (grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo)
Since it is the season for all things pumpkin, I decided to share with you my favorite pumpkin pie recipe. After all, Thanksgiving would not be complete without having a fabulous pumpkin pie! The paleo pumpkin pie filling and flakey grain-free pie crust both come from my Nourishing Meals cookbook.
Use any variety of baked winter squash in this recipe, such as sugar pie pumpkins, butternut squash, sweet meat squash, hubbard, or kabocha. Use this recipe for making Homemade Pumpkin Puree if you have a lot of squash that you would like to cook and freeze. Otherwise, just cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and place the halves flesh-side down in a large glass baking dish with a little water in the bottom of the pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes, or until squash is very tender. Since you are going to blend the pie filling you can just measure out the cooked squash without first making a puree. So easy!
Holiday Pumpkin Pie
Serve this paleo pumpkin pie at your next holiday gathering, or as a nutritious dessert for your family on a chilly autumn evening. If you have an Instant Pot you can easily cook multiple sugar pie pumpkins in it in just minutes! This pie recipe tastes so much better using freshly cooked sugar pie pumpkins or butternut squash! Canned pumpkin does work, but the flavor doesn't even compare to that of freshly baked pumpkin!
For the non-dairy milk, I like to use a thick and creamy homemade raw cashew cream (½ cup raw cashews blended with 1½ cups of water). I've also used a rich homemade almond milk (½ cup almond flour blended with 1½ cups water). Some people like to use canned coconut milk, but I don't really like the strong coconut flavor in pumpkin pie (it does work well though). If you tolerate dairy products, then raw heavy cream works well. If your pumpkin puree is thin and holding extra moisture, add 1 to 2 more tablespoons of arrowroot powder to the filling ingredients.
Crust
Filling
Crust
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, arrowroot or tapioca flour, and sea salt.
- Cut in the butter or shortening using your fingers or a pastry cutter until small pea-sized crumbs form.
- Crack the egg into the middle of the mixture and then stir in using a fork. Continue to knead a few times until the mixture forms a ball. If dough seems too dry, then add a very small amount of cold water (about 1 tablespoon). Form dough into a ball.
- Wrap dough in parchment or waxed paper and chill in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours, or into your freezer for about 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place dough ball onto a piece of parchment or waxed paper, place another sheet on top, and then roll out.
- Remove the top sheet of paper and then carefully flip dough over and into the pie plate. Remove the second sheet of paper. Flute edges. Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork a few times. Pre-bake crust for 10 minutes.
Filling
- To make the filling, place all of the ingredients for the filling into a blender and puree until smooth.
- Pour filling into crust. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes.
- Chill at room temperature for about an hour. Then place pie into the refrigerator and chill until set, about 3 hours.
Use this recipe in our Meal Planner
About the Author
Alissa Segersten, MS, CN
Alissa Segersten, MS, CN, is the founder of Nourishing Meals®, an online meal-planning membership with over 1,800 nourishing recipes and tools to support dietary change and better health. As a functional nutritionist, professional recipe developer, and author of The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook, Nourishing Meals, and co-author of The Elimination Diet, she helps people overcome health challenges through food. A mother of five, Alissa understands the importance of creating nutrient-dense meals for the whole family. Rooted in science and deep nourishment, her work makes healthy eating accessible, empowering thousands to transform their well-being through food.Nourishing Meals Newsletter
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I love the taste of the…
I love the taste of the crust. I am trying it for my pumpkin pie.
I do have a recipe that I posted a while back (it does contain xanthan gum though). Here you go: http://www.nourishingmeals.com/2010/11/deep-dish-apple-pie-gluten-free-vegan.html
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it! :-)
Looks really good. Do you have a piecrust recipe that doesn't use, Coconut flour, Almond flour, or rice flours?
Thank you, Ali! I was so excited to eat a pumpkin pie that didn't hurt my stomach! It turned out great & I loved it. Thank you! :)
Well….you cannot really sub a dry sugar for a liquid sweetener without changing the ratios of the other ingredients. You would need to omit the arrowroot and maybe add 1/4 cup extra milk. I'm not sure though without testing it. You could also use coconut nectar in place of the maple syrup.
Ali, Can I sub Palm Sugar for the Maple Syrup? Thanx and Happy Thanksgiving :-)
Yes, you can certainly use coconut milk. Read my note about using it in the headnotes of the recipe above. I know many people who love using coconut milk in this pumpkin pie recipe. :)
can the non dairy milk be coconut milk?
Enjoy! :)
Hi Jenny~ I have a fabulous recipe for an egg-free, vegan pumpkin pie in my Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook. I've been making it for the last 12 years and everyone always loves it. It uses a little agar powder to replace eggs. Here is the link to the book in case you don't already have it. http://bit.ly/WLNbook
Ground flax seed works best. Three tablespoons flax and one tablespoon water equals one egg. You McCain it in a small bowl, let sit for another ten or fifteen minutes and it becomes thick. I have used that in all my baking when I have run out of eggs. Works great!
Thanks, this has a lot less ingredients than our last one - we will try it out!
This looks delicious! Do you have any suggestions on what to sub for folks who can't tolerate eggs? I have tried making pumpkin pie using extra pumpkin and some arrowroot powder to thicken, but the texture was completely wrong...